So this last Friday night my mom and I were fishing and we were trying to catch RES. We put a nice juicy night crawler on a hook all wrapped up on it and a sinker about 14 inches up the line and started jigging. We actually caught a few!!! A couple were about 7 inches or so, so I was pretty happy about that.

But here is the big question. Twice my mom had caught something that flat took off and snapped her line. She had a drag but it took off so fast it just snapped her 6lbs test.

The question is would HSB eat night crawlers? Or could that have been very big LMB? I don't know but I looked at her and said if that was a RES were in trouble!! LOL...

RC

Don't swim with those RES!!!

I've caught HSB and LMB on nightcrawlers. CC will take them also. You recently caught a 2 lb bluegill. Might be one even bigger.

If you have a 2lb BG ... why not a 2.5 or 3lb RES?

The knot strength of 6 lb test is not quite 6lbs. Knot type and how it is tied matters too. 40 years ago my father I did some experiments on knot strength using a fish scale. I was amazed that wetting the knot before cinching it made such a difference. We found the improved clinch knot performed best with 6.5 turns I think. To this day I wet a knot with a little saliva before cinching it tight.

I'd say it's time for some 20# test...Give Mamma the edge!

If the rod or line has been in the sun for any length of time it will wreck the line.

I would keep going up in line #dage until the fish become hook shy.

Cheers Don.

I could have I have pics when I caught 10 inch RES in 2012 and I put them back in the pond and have never seen them again... That would be sooooooo cool if that's what it was. Gonna have to try it again once it cools off right now it's to dang hot....I don't have any CC that I know of anyway... so if it's not RES it's got to be LMB or HSB we will be ready next time we go that's for sure.

I suspect that's a HSB - regardless of size they attack at full speed and can easily break mono. I only fish with braid in ponds with HSB...too many fish lost historically. Suggest beefing up the tackle with braid or higher test mono.

I know they will bust the line on my fly fishing rod. Like POW- lines broke